Warning: Spoilers for Little Batman: Month One #1!The new Small Batman the franchise expands with a perfect sequel to a new Christmas staple. Last year, Happy Little Batman debuted on Amazon Prime as a kids’ Christmas special for the whole family. It’s the holiday movie Batman fans didn’t know they needed, but it’s been seen as a must-see every holiday season.
The special was received positively enough to warrant a sequel in comic book form. Little Batman: first month #1 by Morgan Evans, Jon Mikel and Ian Herring. Recreating the same magic from such a beloved film is difficult enough, but doing it in an entirely different medium presents a new kind of challenge for the creative team. Fortunately, the creative team eagerly rises to the occasion.
Little Batman: Month One #1 captures the same cute humor and tone of the original special while respecting classic Bat lore, all with a cute twist.
Little Batman: Month One #1 takes place just days after the Amazon Prime original film
It was six days after Christmas
The original Happy Little Batman film focused on a world where Bruce Wayne retires from his superhero duties after doing the unthinkable: winning his war on crime. Gotham is finally free of crime, but when the Joker strikes back while Bruce is out of town, it’s up to his son, Damian, to save the day. Little Batman: first month #1 takes place six days after the events of the original film. It already appears that Gotham is back to normal, with no trace of crime, much to Damian Wayne’s chagrin.
Always eager to get in on some kind of action, Damian Wayne’s enjoyment of being Little Batman – especially as Bruce officially begins his training – has given him an adrenaline boost that he’s not ready to let go of just yet.. This is especially evident during a New Year’s Eve party dinner, at which Damian becomes particularly bored. He wishes he could be Little Batman forever without having to disguise himself under his secret identity. Eager to put Batman’s greatest skills to use, Damian begins investigating a woman who is snooping around Wayne Manor, taking photos.
Before Little Batman can tell Big Batman what he saw, that’s when Wayne Manor and his guests are invaded by Scarecrow and his henchmen. He warns that unless Bruce Wayne comes with them peacefully, people will get hurt. To Damian’s surprise and confusion, his father surrenders without a fight.. The issue ends with Damian crying that his father just got kidnapped, all with the confusion of why his father never turned into Batman to protect himself.
A Batman Parody Understands Batman Better Than Most Batman Stories
Respecting tradition
Even as a parody, Little Batman The creative team understands the importance of Bruce’s dual identities and makes space to approach this theme seriously.
One of the most impressive aspects Happy Little Batman That’s how the film managed understand the essence of what Batman was while still carrying the spirit of satire. This same aspect can be seen in detail throughout Little Batman: first month #1. The story pokes fun at recurring tropes and character traits, but it wholeheartedly understands those tropes and traits without necessarily mocking them. After all, like the previous film, Little Batman is, at its core, a parody of Batman.
It puts comedy first, but does so as a loving homage to the source material, while paying respect to the material at the same time.. Case in point, a recurring question in many Batman stories is asking what the mask between the Bat’s cowl and Bruce Wayne really is. When Bruce tells Damian why they can’t be Batman 24/7, he says “Being Bruce is what allows me to be Batman.” He adds, “being Damian is a superpower in itself.” Even as a parody, Little Batman The creative team understands the importance of Bruce’s dual identities and makes space to approach this theme seriously.
Little Batman starts in the first month
A true origin story about how Damian understands how to be little Batman
To the last point, that quote from Bruce Wayne could turn out to be the company’s mission statement. Little Batman: first month as a series going forward. Little Batman: Month One could be shaping up to be Damian’s definitive origin story, in the same way that Batman: Year One is Bruce’s definitive origin story. Yes, audiences saw why Damian became Little Batman in Merry Little Batman, but the first month could show how he actually became Little Batman and what that distinction means for Damian.
Batman: Year One looks at the first year of Bruce Wayne’s life on active bat service. The real “why” of his origin story can be found elsewhere, but as far as seeing how Bruce understands how to be and what it means to be Batman, Year One is his definitive story. For Damian to understand what it means to be a superhero, he will need to understand what it means to be Damian Wayne. This kind of ideology is on full display in the final panels of Little Batman, where Bruce sacrifices himself for Scarecrow’s gang, another classic Batman tendency.
Readers well-versed in Batman lore understand Bruce’s motivations. Not only does Bruce risk exposing his secret identity, but he also puts the lives of his guests at risk. Readers know this, and most importantly, Batman knows this. Bruce understands the distinction between hero and secret identity and why each identity has a time and place. In the end, he saves the partygoers not as Batman, but as Bruce Wayne. The series will likely delve into Damian discovering this on his own, and Once Damian understands, that’s when his hero’s journey will truly begin.
Little Batman: the first month started with a bang
A worthy sequel for the avid Batman fan
For those who liked Happy Little Batman or consider every Christmas unmissable now, Little Batman: first month Number 1 is a must read. Even beyond being a fan of the Amazon Prime movie, any die-hard Batman fan will love this debut issue and future issues. Anyone versed in the nostalgia, lore, tropes, and trends that make up the Batman franchise will notice the countless subtle references and in-jokes. At the same time, well-researched fans will appreciate the love and affection Little Batman offers as a tribute.
Meanwhile, fans of Little Batman’s predecessor will appreciate how the comic perfectly duplicates the tone, humor, and artistic style of Happy Little Batman. It expands on everything that made that movie fun to watch in the most entertaining way possible. One can also expect the comic to be seen as a necessary gap between the film and the upcoming 2025 TV series, making it even more essential to read.. Small Batman: Month One is a worthy sequel to a newly-loved Christmas classic.
Little Batman: Month One #1 is now on sale at DC Comics